Automatic door control



May 20, 1-941. c s HANSON 2,242,706

' AUTOMATIC noon CONTROL Filed March 16, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 my I zmwv f May 20, 1941. A ON 2,242,706

AUTOMATIC DOOR CONTROL 5 5f Ham 5.012

y 1941' c. s. HANSON 2,242,706

AUTOMATIC DOOR CONTROL Filed March- 16, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 20, 1941. c. s. HANSON AUTOMATIC DOOR CONTROL 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 16, 1939 Patented May 20, 1941 UlTED rss PATENT orrlce 1 Claim.

This invention relates to automatic controls for garage doors, particularly automatic arrangements to open or to close motor-operated doors with switch elements alternately actuated as a car moves in or out.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electric motor to open and close a garage door, with switch arrangements to operate the motor to automatically open the door upon approach of a vehicle from one side thereof, and to automatically close the door upon the vehicle passing beyond the other side of the door.

Pursuant to this object the invention-comprises a motor reversible to respectively open and close the door, and a reversing switch, with vehicle actuated operating switches on each side of the door. Included in this switch arrangement is a distributing switch to set the circuit of the reversing switch preparatory to the next normal operation of the vehicle, whereby the position of the vehicle on one or the other side of the door is coordinated with its direction of movement towards or away from the door to close the door when the vehicle retreats from it on either side, and to open the door when the vehicle approaches it from either side.

The invention includes a mechanical operation of the reversible switch, and of the distributing switch, responsive to the opening and closing of the door, in addition to mechanism to delay the operation of the reversing switch until the door has attained fully opened or closed position. The delayed throw of the reversing switch is accomplished by mechanism employing the door movement to set the switch throwing mechanism ready for operation, together with trip means responsive to the door attaining its extreme open or closed position to release the switch throwing mechanism to operate to throw the reversing switch.

These and other objects will appear from the following illustrative description of this invention taken with the accompanying drawings and more fully pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents in general assembly a garage door with motor connections to open and close the door in combination with switches actuated by the door and with switches placed inside and outside the garage to be tripped by a passing car;

Figure 2 is a plan view, with the doors in section, showing a gear arrangement to move the doors;

Figure 3 is a vertical section through one of the car-operated control switches associated with a car-operated trip; Figure 4 is a vertical section taken along the line 4-4- of Figure 3 showing the assembly of switch mechanism within a control box;

Figure 5 is a side view of oneform of cartripped switch arm;

Figure 6 is a detail in cross section of a switch arm within a control box along the line 6-6 of Figure i;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a reversing switch and distributing switch mechanism operated bythe door, with a portion of the door and of the switch boxes in section;

Figure 8 is a horizontal section along theline 8-8 of Figure 7 showing the disposition of a door-operated reversing switch mechanism;

Figure 9- is a horizontal section along the line 9-9 of Figure 7 showing a reversing switch latch and door-operating releasing means therefor;

Figure 10 is a horizontal section along the line l0l 0 of Figure '7 showing a corresponding switch latch and actuation means therefor to open the latch when the door is closed;

Figure 11 isa diagrammatic representation of switch combinations to enter a garage as a car opens the door.

Figure 12 is a diagrammatic representation of switch controls arranged to close the door after a car enters a garage;

Figure 13 is a diagrammatic representation of switch combinations to open a door for a car to leave a garage;

Figure 14 is a diagrammatic representation of switch combinations to close a door after a car has left a garage;

Figure 15 is a vertical section through a pair of control switches for manually opening the door after a car has entered and has acted on the switch controls set forth in the preceding figures;

Figure 16 is a vertical section along the line l6--l6 of Figure 15;

Figure 17 is a diagrammatic representation of the manual switch and circuit operation of Figures 15 and 16 to close the door after a car has entered a garage;

Figure 18 is a diagrammatic representation of the circuit and switch arrangements actuated by the manual control of Figures 15 and 16 to open a door for a car outside the garage;

Figure 19 is a diagrammatic representation of manual control and switch arrangements as shown in Figures 15 and 16 when in position to close a door with a car outside the garage;

and distributing switch actuating element 48 and reversing switch operating elements 22, 23, and 24 carried by one of the doors.

The reversing switch operating elements 22, 23

and 24 function to operate the reversing switch 6| mounted on the door jamb 63, Figure 1, the mechanism of which reversing switch is more clearly illustrated in Figures 7 to 10 and will be described more fully in connection with those figures. The distributing switch 62, operated by the actuating element 48, is also mounted on the door jamb 63, Figure 1. It will be described more fully in connection with the description of Figures 7 to 10. The distributing switch 62 andreversing switch iii are in circuit with the motor M through the operating switches 2 and 3.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the motor drives the worms 8 on the shaft 9 through the reduction gear train 1, Figures 1 and 2. The worms 8 drive the worm gear segments I0, one for each door, in opposite directions to swing the doors I towards or away from each other, as illustrated in Figure 2, to close or open the door. Thus as worm gears 8 are rotated, the doors swing. open or closed. It will be seen from Figure 21 that in lieu of this gear and hinged door arrangement, the present invention is applicable as well to a pulley type drive.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 show details of reversing switch trips 2 and 3 to be actuated by a car. For these trips 2 and 3 a single description will suffice.

In Figure 3 is shown a trip bar 2 having generally the form of an inverted U and mounted horizontally at the ground level to rock in supports. At one side the trip arm 2 is extended as a hori zontal shaft II through a switch box I2 partly buried in the ground. Mounted loosely upon shaft II near one face of the switch box I2 is a bi-polar switch arm I 3 bearing conducting terminals I4 and I5. These are rotated vertically into contact with one or the other of a pair of conductor clips I4 and I5 which are parts of the control circuit more fully to be described hereinafter. Also, within switch box I2 but keyed-to shaft II is a vertically disposed disk I6 through which penetrates a horizontal pin I1 positioned to swing with U-shaped trip arm 2 through an arc of about 90 each side of normal vertical position and at one extreme or the other to depress conductor terminal I4 or opposite terminal I5 into engagement with corresponding conductor clip I4 or I5.

To hold switch arm I3 in dependable contact in its closed position, each end of the switch arm, as shown in Figure 6, carries protuberance I8 which when depressed engages a corresponding depression I8 in the insulated wall of the switch box I2. Such firm engagement is assured by a coil spring I9 which encircles-shaft II between disk IT and switch arm l3 so as to push switch I3 firmly against the wall of box I2. Once an end of switch I3 is depressed, that end remains in contact with its engaging conductor clip until an oppositely moving vehicle depresses the opposite end. Meanwhile, the depressed pin I1 returns to a neutral position under the influence of a pair of horizontal coil springs 20 and 20 mounted in opposition to each other at the top of the trip arm 2. Cooperating switch mechanism actuated by the door is illustrated in general arrangement in Figure 1 and in greater detail in Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10.

The switch arm I3, in Figure 4, is the one outside the garage door, operated by the actuating trip 2. It differs from the switch arm I3, illustrated in Figure 5, the switch arm I3 being located inside the garage door under operation of the trip arm 3. The switch arm I3 comprises the terminal contacts I4", I5 connected electrically by the conductor 64 which is insulated from the pivot shaft II of the trip arm 3 by means of the bar of insulating material 65. The terminal contacts I4 and I5 ofthe switch arm I3, Figure 4, are insulated from each other, and from the pivot shaft II by means of the insulation bar 65.

Figure 7 shows a vertical section through door I from which projects inwardly a vertical series of switch operating elements designated as 22, 23, 24 and 48. Figures 7 and 8 show the projecting arm 22 swivelly attached to door I and terminating inwardly in a guide ring 25. A coil spring 26 therethrough is secured at its bottom to the door frame and at its upper end to one end of a vertically disposed switch arm 21. Switch arm 21 is pivoted about a center above the lower end of coil spring 26 for rotation in a vertical plane to snap selectively to one side and then the other. This is effective by movement of door'I to pull or to push the horizontal rod 22 and springs 26. switch arm 21 bridges either one pair or the other of two double contacts in the electric motor circuit more fully to be described hereinafter. This bridging of selected circuits utilizes a. pair of conducting bridge arms 28 and 29 fastened to the switch arm 2'! at opposite sides of its center of rotation. Two pairs of cooperating conducting bars 30, 3|, 32 and 33 are arranged as in Figure 7, generally in the form of a disjointed square, and are contacted in pairs respectively by the contact arms 28 and 29, different pairs of contacts being made by the respective two positions of the switch arm 21. By this means door I at open or closed position distributes control of the motor circuit. This distribution is more fully shown in Figures 11, 12, 13 and 14, and is more fully discussed hereinafter.

Switch arm 21 is held in its respective two positions by the latches 34 and M.

The latch 34 retains switch arm 2'! in the position shown in Figure 7, while the door I is closed and during the opening of the door until it has reached its extreme open position. The latch 34, Figure 9, pivots in bracket 66, which is attached to the housing 61 of the reversing switch 6|, the housing being attached to the door jamb 63. The coil spring 39 operates, as most clearly illustrated in Figure 9, to hold the shoulder 40 of the latch 34 in engagement with the arm 21. Latch 34 comprises one arm of a bell crank lever, the other arm 35 of which is provided with an eye 69 which receives the draw pin 23. The draw pin 23 pivots on a bracket 68 attached to the door I, and terminates with an abutment head 38. The length of the draw pin 23 is such that it slides freely in the eye in the arm-35 while the door is opening and-swinging away from the jamb 63. The abutment head 38 is so positioned that when the door attains its fully opened position it engages the arm 35 and actuates the bell crank lever 34, 35 against l switch arm 2? in the counterclockwise direction in-Figure 7 when the door is opened, and it does so upon the-abutment member 38 actuating the arm 35 to release the latch shoulder 40 from the switch arm 21. By this means the switch arm is snapped to break the contacts of the bridge arms 28, 29, Figure 7, and to close new contacts. When the switch arm 27 is in the position of Figure '7 the bridge arm 28 closes contact between conducting bars 3| and 32; and bridge arm 29 closes contact between conducting bars 36 and 33. When the door attains its fullyopened position, and the switch arm 2'! is snapped in the counterclockwise direction, Figure 7, the circuit through conducting bars 3!, 32 and conducting bars 30 and 33 is broken, and new circuits are closedbetween conducting bars 32, 33 by bridge arm 28, and between conducting bars 38 and 3! by bridge arm '29.

When the door approaches fully opened position the distributing switch 62, Figures 7, and 11 to 14, is actuated. The draw pin 48 is pivoted in a bracket 12 attached to the door I, and passes throuhg an eye 13 in the arm 45 terminating with the shoulder 47 which is positioned to engage the arm 46- immediately before the door attains its fully opened position. Disposed atan angle to the arm 45 is the longitudinally movable contact supporting arm M which carries the jumper bar 15 which lclose's contact selectively between the terminals B, C and the terminals B, A, Figure 7. Thus, as the door attains fully opened position contact through ter-\ minals B, C has been broken and contact through terminals A,;B is closed.

In addition when the switch arm 2'! snaps in the counterclockwise direction in Figure 7 it assumes latching engagement with the latch 4!. The latch 4|, Figure '10, is mounted to pivot in a ivot bracket [6 fixed to the door jamb E53, and comprises the bell crank lever 4|, 44. The bell crank lever 4!, 44 is spring actuated by the coil spring 43 to urge the lever in latching position, the shoulders 42, Figure 10, engaging the switch aim 21 in its extreme counterclockwise position while the door is open and while the door is closing until it attains fully closed position. Attached to the door I is the abutment member 24, Figure 10, which projects through the opening 45 in the reversing switch housing 61 when the door approaches fully closed position. Abutment 24 engages the arm 44 of the bell crank lever 4|, 44 to swing the lever in the clockwise direction in Figure 10, against the tension of the spring43.

While the door is closing the rod 22 with the eye 25 encircling the spring 26, operates to defiect-the-spring-ZS from its-straight line position,

and to extend its tensioni'ng terminus to the right of the pivot pin'Tl of switch arm 21-. In this position the spring 26 tends'to rotate the switch arm 2'! in the clockwise direction in Figure 7. Immediately upon the release of the switch arm 2! by the latch shoulder 4-2, resulting from the abutment member 24 actuating the lever arm '44, the spring 26 is enabled to snap the switch arm 21 in the clockwise direction; This breaks contact of the contact arm 28 across the terminals 32, 33 and contactof the contact arm 29 across the terminals 30, 31; and closes new contacts of the contact arm 28' acrossthe terminals 39, 33. The reversing switch hasthus reverted to its position illustratedin Figure "7.

As the door l is closing, andimmediately before the door attains its fully closed position, it actuatesthe arm 45 toswitch the jumper bar from contact across the terminals A, B, to contact across the terminals B, C. The arm 34 is cam shaped for yieldable engagement when switch 21 snaps into latched position in a recess 46 of the arm '34. This latching occurs as the door is fully closed and is retained until at the extreme open position of door I, latch release 4 arm 38 functions for quick release of switch arm 21. I

Reversing switch arm 2'! is latched also when its upper end has been snapped toward the door at the extreme open position of the door. This latching is accomplished by a cam-faced arm 4| containing a recess 42 similarly to the lower latch arm and mounted to swing by spring 43 about a vertical pintle, as shown in Figure 10.

A bell-crank arm 44 integral with the latch arm 4| extends horizontally past an opening- 45 in the frame. This arm 44 may be pushed by a pin 24 mounted on the door I to project through the opening 45 and swing the latch arms 44, 4|

against the force of spring 43 to unlatched position. As will be seen from Figure 10, this unlatching occurs when door I reaches its innermost closing position. When the door is closed, the openings through Which the several latch release arms extend from the door are covered and protected by the door itself.

Attached also to the door frame similarly to snap switch 27 and its latches 34 and 4! is a sliding distribution switch 46 comprising three terminals designated A, B, C with an actuating arm -4S pivotally mounted on the door, as shown in Figure 7. The three terminals 'A, B, C are aligned to be contacted successively by contact plate 46 as the door closes or opens. Plate '46 contact face is suificiently long to bridge the middle terminal B simultaneously with either extreme terminal 0 or A. When the door is wide open, the terminals A, B are joined. Horizontal control arm 48 at its inner extremity contains an upwardly extending burr 4-! to pull plate 46 but at its outer extremity is turned upwardly to swivel on door I and as the door closes to push contact arm 48 inwardly. When the door is at its closed position, the contacts B, C are closed.

The electrical connections involved in these distributing and reversing switches in cooperation withthe vehicletripped arms 2 and 3 are shown diagrammatically in Figures 11, 12, 13 and 14.

Figure 11 shows the circuit when the dooris closed preparatory to the approach of a vehicle from the outside. It shcwsthe motor M in circuit with the reversing switch Bl, the switch arm 21 being turned in its clockwise position, which is the position it occupies in Figure 7. Contact is closed across the terminals 3|, 32 and the terminals 30, 33. The distributing switch 62 connects with the line through terminals B, C. The arm l3 of the vehicle actuated switch 2 being insulated between its end terminals, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 11, and the motor circuit being open at terminal 2, the motor M is inoperative. As the vehicle approaches the door of the garage and deflects the switch 2 into dotted line position in Figure 11, the line circuit through the distributing switch contacts B, C is closed through terminals 2, 3 and through the motor M. The motor M now operates in the direction to open the door. Immediately before the door attains fully opened position the distributing switch 62 opens contact across terminals B, C and closes contact across terminals A, B. This breaks the motor circuit, but the motor and the door override until the door attains fully opened position at which time the switch arm 21 is snapped in the counterclockwise direction, as described, in connection with the latching mechanism 34 illustrated in Figure 9.

The several switches and contact members are now in the position illustrated in Figure 12. The door is open and ready for the vehicle to pass through and beyond it. In this position the circuit through [contacts A, B, it will be noted, is broken at the switch 3. As the vehicle advances through the door it deflects the switch arm l3 of switch 3 into the dotted line position of Figure 12, and contact is closed through the terminal 3". This closes the motor circuit with the reversing switch 6| in position to drive the motor in the reverse direction. The motor M, therefore, operates to close the door, and as it approaches complete closed position it operates to break contact across the terminals A, B and to close contact across the terminals B, C. This functions to open the motor circuit at the terminal 3' of the switch 3, the circuit through 3" being open at the distributing switch 62. The motor M overrides until the door attains fully closed position at which time, by means of the latching mechanism 24, 4|, illustrated in Figure 10, the reversing switch is enabled to snap back in the clockwise direction to reverse circuit of the motor. The motor circuit is now open at the distributing switch 62 and the reversing switch 6| is in position to operate the motor M to open the door when the motor circuit is closed at terminal 3'.

The various switches and contacts are now in the position illustrated in Figure 13, and it will be noted that the switch 2 is rendered completely ineffectual because of the condition of the distributing switch 62, as illustrated in Figure 13. If the switch arm |3 were to be actuated to close contact across the terminal 2"! this would not close the motor circuit because of'the insulation 65, illustrated in Figure 4.

The parts are now in position for the door to be opened when it is desired to move a vehicle through the door from inside to outside the garage. As the vehicle advances from the inside of the garage toward the door, the switch arm I3 is deflected to close contact across the terminal 3 and to close the motor circuit now set by the reversing switch 6| to drive the motor M in the direction toopen the door. As the door approaches fully opened position it operates the distributing switch to break contact across terminals B, C. and to close contact across terminals A, B. The motor circuit isnow open at the terminal 3", which is in circuit with the contact C, and this takes place immediately before the door attains fully opened position. The motor and door override and the door continues to open to fully opened position. at which time the latch mechanism '23, 24, Figure 9, again operates to release the reversing switch arm 21 to be thrown in the counterclockwise direction in Figure 13. vehicle to advance through and beyond it out of the garage.

The several switches and contacts are now in the positions illustrated in Figure 14. As the motor vehicle advances out of the garage it trips the switch 2 to close the circuit across terminal 2" and through the terminal 3' into the motor M. The reversing switch 6| is set to drive the motor M in the direction to close the door, and immediately before attaining fully closed position the door operates to open contact across the terminals A, B and to close contact across the terminals B, C. This opens the motor circuit across the terminal 2', but the motor and door override, and the door continues to close until it attains fully closed position. The latch mechanism, 24, 4|, of Figure 10, thereupon operates to release the reversing switch arm 21 to snap in the clockwise direction in Figure 14 and to assume the position illustrated in Figure 7. The several switches and contacts have now reassumed the positions illustrated in Figure 11 and the cycle has been completed.

It will be noted that the distributing switch 62 is enclosed in the housing 11 separate and apart from the housing 61 for the reversing switch 6|. This enables independent adjustment of the distributing switch relative to the door I which will not effect the position of adjustment of the reversing switch 6|. The motor circuit is broken by the distributing switch 62 before the reversing switch operates, each timethe motor circuit is reversed, and this eliminates all arcing in the reversing switch 6|. The mounting of the distributing switch 62 and of the reversing switch 6| in the respective housings 11 and 61 on the door jamb 63 inside of the garage door places them in position where they are not apt to be tampered with.

It will be observed that the distribution switch ABC is placed in the line separately from the reversing switch 21. This permits simple adjustment by adjustment of the length of actuating arm 46 to alter the contacts ABC at such time with respect to the operation-of reversing switch 21 as to place the minimum of arcing in the entire circuit. Further, it will be observed that the various actuating arms 48 and 22, 23 and 24 are carried horizontally by the door. They thus are supported in position during the entire cycle of use. Moreover, the latches 34 and 4| serve toassure positive operation of the reversing switch 21. Further, the described positioning of the various horizontal actuating arms carried by the door assures that these arms are substantially sealed against inadvertent use when the door is closed and provides means for placing these operating elements within a-garage.

Figures 15 and 16 show means connected to the trip switch 3 for manual operation thereof to open the garage door from inside. This comprises a pulley 5'!) connected by element 5| about the disk l6 ofthe trip switch. In thisarrange- The door is now open ready for the ment extensions from terminals ABC may be operatively connected to manually operated disk 50 for correlation with trip switch disk It, as shown in Figures 16, 1'7, 18 and 19.

Figure 20 shows an extension from manually operated trip disk It to a companion trip disk l6 placed outside the garage so that the door may be operated manually also from outside.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have fully described and illustrated the best means now contemplated for operation of this invention. However, within the terms of the appended claims modifications will now occur to those skilled in this art.

What I claim is:

An automatic door operating device comprising, a motor operable reversibly to respectively open and. close the door, a reversing switch for the motor, operating switches on opposite sides of the door, a distributing switch, each operating switch comprising two-way throw contacts disposed in opposite directions towards and away from the door, the contacts of the several switches disposed in opposite directions respectively toward and away from each other being in common circuit with the reversing switch, the distributing switch comprising two-way throw contacts for opening the operating switch simultaneously with closing the reverse circuit through the open contact of the other operating switch, the reversing switch comprising a switch arm positionable alternatively to two positions for closing the respective circuits of the motor, a reversing switch arm actuating spring, means operable by the respective opening and closing of the door to position the spring to throw the arm for reversing the operation of the motor, means for holding the arm against actuation by the spring, means responsive to the door appreaching either fully opened or closed position to operate the distributing switch to open the operating circuit of one operating switch and to close contact through the inoperative circuit of the other operating switch, and means operable responsive to the door attaining either fully opened or [closed position to release the holding means for the reversing switch arm actuating spring to operate the throw of the arm.

CHARLES S. HANSON. 

